des201_2018_gdn_week02fandomcom-20200215-history
DES201-2018, Week02: Game Mechanic Design by 1700282, Aaron
Game Mechanic Design - Overview In 'The Cursed Watch' the player uncovers an emerging narrative experience through a series of mechanics designed to provide exposure to the game's storyline, which focuses around an urban legend involving time and a cursed item that appears and re-appears through time, retold in various ways. This timelessness has the ability to demonstrate (albeit subtly) the various different perspectives and responses of differing perspectives and cultural norms that separate one period from the next. Some design considerations for game mechanics that help convey narrative systems in gameplay: * Strategic Considerations (Big-scale) ** Fictional Story based upon an Urban Legend (created by the author) ** Overarching Ruleset (applied to all levels and gameplay) *** Each Level reiterates the Urban Legend, Progressively exposes Story *** Each Level of Play is 60:00 Minutes in Length, access to next level is available regardless of the players perceived success. This is to simulate the forwardness of time, urging diachrony. **** Success by % of Core Objectives (completed by players) influences character's fate in cutscene prior to next level. Also rewards player with hidden subplot narrative for this. **** Re-playability is high, as player may receive different ending if they miss something... *** Different Player-Characters from differing periods, helps establish historicity and perspectives **** Objectives, Dialogue and Goals differ from culture-to-culture **** Will ultimately explain how the Watch ended up in their possession **** Twelve Characters, Twelve Periods, Twelve 60:00 Events to Complete *** Each Cutscene will play as an interlude, and explain the narrative of the story further (Reminding the player of the Urban Legend, to reinforce the connection to the story as a whole). Alternatively, on the tactical level (Small-scale)... * Tactical Considerations (Small-scale) ** Interaction Model (and how to integrate it into UX/Tutorial data) ** Deployment of Environmental Narrative Systems *** Non-Essential NPC Barks, and their behaviour(s) *** Environmental Cues such as... **** Posters **** Literature **** Semiosis **** State of Area (damage, decay, disruption) *** Curiosity-friendly, aka environments look active, when uncovered further, are actually active: **** Walk past a shop (example) **** Enter the Shop **** Shopkeeper Greets/Welcomes you → Initiates Interaction ** Deployment of Essential Non-Player Characters (and their logical systems) *** NPCs should have agenda based on time/place, outcome: **** Can be unavailable, simulating missed opportunities, like reality **** Can have more influence on player, as they become gateways: ***** Offer Narrative ***** Offer Guidance ***** Offer Inquiry ***** Offer Inventory Systems **** Can be integrated into objectives, aka if you miss a meeting, you waste time (the game's primary resource), can a meeting be rescheduled? Unlikely within an hour, aka failure state. ** Percentage of Objective Completion determines Good | Bad cutscene outcome of character/period. These base constraints help inform the design, by limiting the scope of what cannot be done, so that designers can focus on what can be done, instead. Furthermore, as the theme of the urban legend is about time, it should enable a more practical, hands-on approach to solving the diachrony problem in an interactive, digital space. Game Mechanic Design - Time & Space Time and Space are core design mechanics in The Cursed Watch. Time is a resource, as the player is given limited time to explore the scene, and accomplish that hour's objectives. Space is the dimension in which the player traverses, and may determine how the player views space in the environment, especially if time is scarce. Chosen Level: Dresden '89 Revolution Eastern Europe, 1989; political unrest has had a powerful impact on the social structure that makes up the bordered eastern bloc nation. You're an embedded soviet political officer, with ties to the Kremlin's inner circle. You have an hour to make good your escape, as rioting and civil chaos consumes the local area, and will likely converge upon you. In the room over, your partner is stowing his things for the journey home. He tells you 'you had best pack light, we don't have long', and you inquire as to the time. In response, he throws you his pocket watch, it looks old, and has various markings that are curious in nature. You're uncomfortable with the feel it leaves in your palms, and you stow it in a pocket for later use. It could be useful, afterall. It has an uncomfortably loud ticking noise, as far as watches go, this is significant. It's unsettling. Dresden '89 Revolution Time & Space Design * Time (Tactical) ** Player Resource ** Ticks quietly at first, increases in volume as level intensifies/time goes on. ** Provides a constant, and measures player pace (in this example, the level is about stealth) * Space (Tactical) ** First Person Environment ** Stealth Gameplay, Primary Objectives Given: *** Locate Documents *** Avoid Hostile Civilians *** Secure an Exit ** Narrative Exposure, Secondary Objectives: *** Player Voice Overs (especially during stealth) **** Complains about Watch Noise to NPC partner ***** Happens during hiding moments (when quiet is preferred) ***** Happens when checking the watch for the time, as exfiltration is at a specified time **** Receives narrative about it from said NPC character, including... ***** 'I found that watch when I...' the NPC first found the item ***** 'I heard that the Watch belonged to...' the upcoming level, aka foreshadowing ***** 'It's cursed I tell you! This one time...' expose about the timepiece ***** 'Actually, it was under investigation...' to the urban legend, itself *** Decisions Involved **** Go Back to...Recover 'Cursed Watch' Investigation Documents ***** Burn ***** Confiscate **** Move On...Risk Leaving Sensitive 'Cursed Watch' Materials Around *Time & Space (Strategic) **Environmental Aesthetics (what did 1989 East Germany look like? Settings, Themes, etc) **Anachronistic Sensitivity (what is considered anachronistic? Do we omit irregular things?) **Overall Mission Delivery ***60:00 Deadline ***Environment to Scale for... ****Stealth Gameplay ****Explorative Moving ****Emphasis on Risk/Reward ****Difficulty of Exfiltration *****Consequences In summary, the player is able to fulfill the obligation of completing their objective, but is consistently reminded to exfiltrate the area, and may be discouraged by an NPC (who is frightened, fearful of being caught by hostiles). By completing this level, the player is given more information as to why these individuals came to possess it. Game Mechanic Design - Scene Framing, Scaling, Orchestrating & Sequencing Below is a diagram demonstrating how the player's campaign, scene framing, scale and orchestration as well as level sequencing will play out. Keep in mind that this is a topology of the concept, and with feedback; would likely change: Scene Frame, Orchestration December 5th, 1989 Europe has changed significantly since 1530, and we open our scene to a Germany once split by empire, war and newer ideology. Where walls once stood, separating east from west, now rubble; a metaphor for freedom. That rubble is mortar and brick torn assunder, but remains the same materials used to build civilisation. Two weeks ago, the iron curtain fell, in lieu of a re-unified Germany; and a new European identity amidst the fall of the vice grip of Sovietism is emerging from it. You are a once-active Stasi officer. An officer of the former Soviet Union bursts through the door; he's a familiar face. They quickly tell you pack lightly, and the scene shifts to the two uniformed men, turning a double bunked room inside out, and sensitively pilfering through items; plucking them up and placing them into their suitcases. He throws you an old, gilted gold pocket watch. Emblazoned upon it are astrological and numeric symbols, cold to the touch you feel uncomfortable with it. It's clearly not of Soviet design, and with that you place it into your pocket and with that, pick up your suitcase and leave for the door with your colleague. Framing Details * Period: December 5th, 1989 ** Environment *** Architecture: Eastern European Architecture, Soviet-esque *** Location: Dresden, City, Municipality with parked traffic *** Environment: Cold, Windy, Grey, Snow Imminent *** Props: Barricades, Barrel-fires, Debris and Decay ** Culture *** Period Accurate *** 1980s, Eastern European *** Authentic Music (Period/Locale) *** Advertisements, Posters & Signs ** Situation *** Hostile Civilian Groups *** Limited Defense Capability *** Goals: **** Recover or Destroy Documents **** Secure Sensitive Materials **** Exfiltrate to Level End Point *** Sub-Goals: **** Utilise Watch to Track Time **** Inquire about Watch Origins **** Stay Hidden from 'Enemy' NPCs Scaling Details * Environment ** Close-quarters Living Areas *** Houses *** Closets *** Basements *** Alleyways ** Medium-Range Spaces *** Streets, Walkways *** Checkpoints *** Crossings *** Approaches (Watchtowers) ** Long-Range Environments *** Long Roads *** Open Areas *** Local Parks * Time-Space Scaling ** Main Objectives *** Placed Equally Apart, signifies consistency/goal(s) aim *** Risky, difficult to approach/succeed in ** Secondary Objectives *** Distributed within Main Objective Hubs (for distraction, i.e. risk:reward) *** Risky, difficult to escape/recover from ** Background Goal *** Timer Countdown *** Tension Between Main & Secondary Objectives Game Mechanic Design - Embedded Narrative Systems Embedded narratives can include semiosis such as Posters, Signs and Literature. The environment can demonstrate background story, that helps hold up the illusion of play. Gameplay mechanics can involve the following capabilities: Environment Interaction Model * Player Can... ** Pick up books, notebooks, journals, literature, narrative items ** View posters, signs and murals ** Acquire information from Radios, Televisions, etc. * Player Cannot... ** Interact/Dialogue with Hostile NPCs (other missions may support this) ** Steal Unnecessary Items Game Mechanic Design - Core Gameplay Mechanics & Constraints The following are game mechanics that can 'harmonise' (therefore create dynamics) that establish stronger gameplay: Level Gameplay Mechanics * Timer Countdown (consistent with other levels) → Upon Expiry → Next Cutscene * Fixed Objectives → Create Pass/Fail Dynamics → Influences Cutscene Displayed ** Locate Document Cache A *** Avoid Detection *** Sub-Objective: Locate 'Watch File 0334' → High Risk / Narrative Reward ** Locate Document Cache B *** Avoid Detection *** Sub-Objective: Locate 'Watch Video Evidence Alpha' → Higher Risk/Narrative Reward ** Locate Document Cache C *** Avoid Detection *** Sub-Objective: Locate 'Watch Audiolog' → Highest Risk/Narrative Reward ** Keep Ally Alive ** Reach Exfiltration * Mission Conclusion ** Complete Mission with 100% Success → Best Result ** Complete Mission with 75% Success → Better Result ** Complete Mission with 50% Success → Good Result ** Complete Mission with 25% Success → Average Result ** Fail Mission → Next Mission regardless, diachrony present due to... *** Time always forward *** Events happen, regardless of agency